DORTMUND PRODIGY

The son of a professor, Gotze joined Dortmund’s youth academy at the age of eight alongside his older brother, Fabian.

After progressing through the ranks, 2009 would prove to be his breakout year, as he starred both at club and international level.

That summer, he played a crucial role for Germany’s under-17 side as they won the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, beating the likes of England, Holland and Italy along the way.

Gotze was named in the team of the tournament for his impressive displays, and was given the Golden Player Award for the tournament’s most valuable individual, an award previously won by the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos.

Mario Gotze and Ann-Kathrin Broemmel pose as they arrive at the Oktoberfest in 2015

The same year also saw Gotze win the Fritz Walter medal in the under-17 category, beating Marc-Andre ter Stegen to the award.

With his performances for club and country at youth level, the teenager caught the eye of a certain Jurgen Klopp, then manager of Dortmund.

Having returned the club to the German Bundesliga’s top six, Klopp was intent on building for a successful future with a nucleus of young talent. Gotze was added to this core in the 2009-10 season’s winter break, going on to make five appearances for the first team.

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With his quick feet, close control and passing, Gotze didn’t take long to establish himself in Klopp’s Dortmund team.

Indeed, in 2010-11 – his first full season with the senior squad – he became a regular starter.

In that campaign, the lithe attacking midfielder had a direct hand in over a quarter of Dortmund’s goals as they went on to lift their first Bundesliga title in almost a decade, scoring six and setting up 11 of the team’s 67.

German footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer made public his admiration for the youngster at the time, saying, “It is not possible to stop Mario Götze, he runs through opponents as though they aren't there.”

A hip injury stalled the player’s progress in 2011-12, but by the following season he was back to full fitness and ready to lead the club’s charge towards a third consecutive title.

Unfortunately, while Gotze had his best season on an individual level, scoring nine and assisting ten times in 23 league starts while forming an outstanding double act with Marco Reus, Dortmund were unable to keep pace with Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich.

Germany lifted the World Cup in 2014 thanks to Mario Gotze's goal in the final

“There are no comparisons between him and Messi. Messi is the best player in history,” the current Manchester City boss said. “[Gotze]…has done well … and he can still improve. I try to help him, but Messi is at another level.”

Gotze shrugged off any first-season Bayern blues to score the winning goal against Messi’s Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.

The goal, a stunning extra time volley, seemed important not only for Germany, but for Gotze.

This, many felt, was the true beginning of the second stage of his development.

Playmaker Mario Gotze shows brilliant technique to volley home in the World Cup final

THE TWIN CURSES OF INJURY AND VERSATILITY

Gotze failed to build on his World Cup-winning goal in 2014-15. Instead, his statistics dropped as Guardiola continued to struggle with finding the creator’s best position.

He had tried a false nine role, attacking midfielder, as well as deeper and wider positions, to little avail. Gotze was now beating his man less and completing fewer passes. His goals tally also went from ten to nine, while he assisted just twice in Bundesliga action.

And 2015-16 was another difficult campaign for Gotze.

Following a hamstring injury he missed much of the first half of the term and struggled to break back into the line-up upon his return.

This season Mario Gotze has spent more time on the bench that he would like

Injury and his own versatility had stunted his development, and at the age of 24, three years after he’d left the club, he went back to Dortmund.

“With the experience I have now, I would make the decision [to leave Dortmund] at a later stage,” Gotze confessed upon his return. “I wanted to take the risk at the time and make the next step. Looking back at it, I would have made a different decision now.”

But pulling on the yellow and black of Dortmund didn’t coincide with a return to form for the player, who scored once in 11 league appearances this season before, in late February, it was confirmed that he would spent months out following the discovery of a metabolic disorder.

Gotze’s career looks at this moment to be in danger of slowly petering out. Fortunately, he is still young and has plenty of time left to re-find the performances that once saw him hailed as one of the most exciting players of his, or indeed any, generation.